The Lovingkindness, Judgment, and Righteousness of Yeshua Part Two

By Frank Tyler

John 8:12-9:5

Introduction

John 8:12-9:5: Late Morning—Mid Day

In part one of this study, we discovered that Yeshua is both the Giver of the Law and the Spirit-filled Messiah who fulfills the Law with perfect lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness (Jeremiah 9:24). [1] In stark contrast, the Judean authorities engage in the sin of legalism by manipulating the Law and putting a woman at jeopardy, all to undermine Yeshua’s ministry before a large crowd in the court of the women. Far from accepting the rebuke and correction of God’s Son, the Judean authorities will continue to resort to legalism and incessant provocations. Though openly acknowledging the hand of Satan working through the Judean authorities, with apologia after apologia, Yeshua never ceases reaching out to these rulers with the good news of who He is and the gift of life in His name. Darkness descends into a gathering storm, but the light of God’s Menorah shines tirelessly as a beacon of salvation evermore brightly and with sharper and sharper contrast. Yeshua will develop, both in word and in deed, the theme of His latest apologia, I am the light of the world (John 8:12); as a result, many more will believe in Yeshua, the One who delights in lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness (Jeremiah 9:24).

The Larger Historic Context

Finding themselves in the presence of a large crowd of observers, how will the rulers react to the One whose actions so graphically reveal that He is both the Giver of the Law and Israel’s Spirit-filled Messiah who fulfills the Law perfectly (John 7:53-8:11), the One who openly proclaims I am the light of the world (John 8:12)? Although the story of the woman caught in adultery forms the immediate and crucial backdrop defining the composition of Yeshua’s audience and the motivation driving the Judean authorities’ relentless attack on Him, [2] there exists a larger historic context that helps you and I better understand the interactions between Yeshua and the Judean authorities.

The Sin of Legalism

Like an invisible Black Hole drawing matter into its deadly vortex, historically, legalism has a long destructive history that remains relevant to understanding the context underlying the present conflict between Yeshua and the Judean authorities. Though nowhere defined in Scripture, for our purpose this simple definition suffices: Legalism is the sin or act of turning from the grace of God to the law and in so doing denying God and His Son Yeshua. [3]

In the Garden of Eden, Satan is both brilliant… and persuasive: Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made (Genesis 3:1).

God’s command: Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat…

(Genesis 2:16; underlining added).

Satan’s interpretation: Has God indeed said, “ You shall not eat of every tree of the garden ”? (Genesis 3:1; underlining added)

Satan asks a misleading question purposefully rephrased from God’s positive affirmation, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, to express a negative summation, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden . The sole exclusion to God’s positive affirmation and gracious provision becomes the source of Satan’s negative and twisted summation.

Eve fails to discern the distinction and makes the forbidden tree the focal point of her understanding of God’s provision: We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, “You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die” (Genesis 3:2-3). God plainly states the consequence for eating of the tree of knowledge: in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die (Genesis 2:17). Eve’s embellishment, nor shall you touch it is a logical inference; if she and Adam cannot touch the fruit, they certainly cannot eat the fruit… but is her inference a part of God’s command? No, she has inadvertently stepped away from God’s gracious provision and simple obedience to His command onto the thin ice of legalism. [4]

Might she and Adam touch the fruit and not die? Absolutely, her self-imposed rule is without consequence. Seizing the opportunity, Satan boldly contradicts God’s command by denying the consequence for disobedience, You will surely not die (Genesis 3:4), and reasons—if you eat of the tree and know good and evil you become like God (Genesis 3:4-5). Logical inferences and legalism prove an attractive invitation to sin. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate (Genesis 3:6).

Satan is brilliant. He successfully manipulates God’s commandment to Adam and Eve and turns them from the goodness of God’s grace (partaking of the fruit of the garden) to sin (partaking of the tree of knowledge). But, how does this bit of legal brilliance play out with God, the One who created Adam and Eve and gave them the commandment?

3:14 So the LORD God said to the serpent:

“Because you have done this,

You are cursed more than all cattle,

And more than every beast of the field;

On your belly you shall go,

And you shall eat dust

All the days of your life.

3:15 And I will put enmity

Between you and the woman,

And between your seed and her Seed;

He shall bruise your head,

And you shall bruise His heel.”

The sin of legalism brought forth Man’s fall and God’s judgment:Satan is brilliant… utterly brilliant, and resolutely condemned.

Succumbing to Satan’s legalistic ploy and disobeying God’s command, Adam and Eve now exit the Garden of Eden and enter a foreign world under condemnation of sin and death.

3:22 Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—

3:23 therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.

3:24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:22-24)

The One who gave the command now fulfills that command with perfect power and authority, but not without lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness (Jeremiah 9:24). God not only provides clothing for Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21), but He also promises Messiah, the Seed that comes forth from the woman who crushes the head of Satan (Genesis 3:15).

Just as Satan sought to manipulate the positive blessing of God’s gracious provision and commandment to Adam and Eve, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat (Genesis 2:16), in order to bring condemnation upon God’s creation, so too in the pericope adulterea (John 7:53-8:12), the great scholars of Judaism, the scribes and Pharisees, sought to manipulate the blessing of His Law, in order to bring condemnation upon the woman and God’s Chosen One. [5] Thankfully, the difference between the first Adam and the second Adam could not be more apparent. Adam and Eve succumbed to Satan’s ploy and fell under condemnation of sin and death. Yeshua boldly and very graphically exposes the Judean authorities’ plot by issuing a simple command: He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first (John 8:7). Despite their brilliance, neither Satan nor the woman’s accusers are a match for Yeshua, the Giver of the Law and Spirit-filled Messiah who fulfills God’s Law perfectly.

Just as God showed lovingkindness to Adam and Eve, so too Messiah shows lovingkindness to the woman caught in adultery and her accusers. Yeshua demonstrates righteous judgment by correcting both; yet mercifully, neither bear the full consequence of their sin. Truly, Yeshua is the Lord exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these He delights (Jeremiah 9:24). Like His commandment to Adam and Eve, His Law to His chosen people was meant for blessing… it takes pride, intellect, and a depraved heart to turn them into the curse of legalism.

The Promise of Eternal Life

Within the immediate history of John’s account, chapters 3 and 5 record apologias designed to persuade the Judean authorities of Yeshua’s promise of eternal life. [6] These apologias shape the ongoing dialogue between Yeshua and the Judean authorities in chapter 7 and 8.

In His apologia to Nicodemus and his disciples (John 3:14-18), we find Yeshua’s promise of everlasting life.

John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

John 3:15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 3:18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

(John 3:14-18; underlining added)

That Yeshua declares the promise of everlasting life twice in verses 15 and 16 and then restates it in verse 17, that the world through Him might be saved , makes the promise emphatic. The Son is the Father’s herald speaking the promise of eternal life. Furthermore, He links this promise directly to the cross and God’s great love for the world in giving His Son. The meaning of God’s love and our Lord’s sacrifice is inextricably linked to His promise: whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. How do you and I know God loves us? He gave us His Son, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), in order that we might believe in His Him and have eternal life. This is the apologia Yeshua speaks to both Nicodemus, the teacher of Israel (John 3:10), and his disciples.

In John chapter 5, healing a paralytic on the Sabbath draws the Judean authorities to Yeshua and gives Him an opportunity to reach out to them with yet another apologia.

5:21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.

5:22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son,

5:23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

5:24 “ Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

5:25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.

5:26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, (John 5:21-26; underlining added)

Verses 21 and 26 form an inclusio: [7] Just as the Father raises the dead, gives life, and has life in Himself, so too the Son (John 5:21 and 26). To the one who hears His word and believes His Father’s testimony, Yeshua promises everlasting life, freedom from final judgment, and immediate and final passage from death into life (John 5:24). Indeed, the hour is both coming and now is when the spiritually dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and have everlasting life (John 5:25). Not only is Yeshua’s eternality revealed, but even as the Son of God speaks with the Judean authorities, He continues with perfect power and authority to both promise and fulfill His promise of eternal life—according to His word many have been saved, and moreover, will continue to be eternally saved.

With the particular events of John 5 still fresh (John 7:21-24) and just days before the events of the pericope adulterea, the Judean authorities are well aware of Yeshua’s promise: Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life (John 5:24). It is His word to them. And, if that were not enough, these same rulers likely heard (perhaps through one of Nicodemus’ disciples) the earlier promise given to Nicodemus, the teacher of Israel (John 3:10), and his disciples: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). In both chapters, the apologias focus on Yeshua’s promise of eternal life to the world or whoever believes. The world includes whoevers like the Judean authorities.

Yeshua is the Word of God

The Apostle John introduces the witness of the apostles with a very radical revelation: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God (John 1:1-2). For this reason, you and I rightly expect the boldness of Yeshua’s words throughout John’s account, but for those without the benefit of the apostle’s introduction, namely the Judean authorities, His boldness becomes a stumbling block.

From the Giver of the Law to the Giver of God’s Word

The incident with the woman caught in adultery dramatically revealed Yeshua as the Giver of the Law. In His continuing interactions with the Judean authorities, Yeshua purposefully expands this apologia: [8] He is the Giver of—not just the Law—but the very word of God. The heart of Yeshua’s apologia to the Judean authorities in John chapter 8—I am the light of the world—challenges them to hear His word as the Word of God spoken like rays of light to illuminate the truth and save them. Will they hear and believe His promise of eternal life to them?

Lighting the Temple with the Word of God

Scripture in John(underlining added)	Speaker	Primary Audience
8:20 These words (Ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα) Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.	Yeshua, the Giver of the Law	Judean authorities and the people
Scripture in John(underlining added)	Speaker	Primary Audience
John 8:26 I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him (ἃ ἤκουσα παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ, ταῦτα λέγω εἰς τὸν κόσμον.).	Yeshua, the Giver of His Father’s word	Judean authorities, the people, and the world
8:28When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things (καθὼς ἐδίδαξέν με ὁ πατήρ μου, ταῦτα λαλω).	Yeshua, the Giver of His Father’s word	Judean authorities and the people
8:30 As He spoke these words (Ταῦτα αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος), many believed in Him.	Yeshua, the Giver of His and the Father’s word	Judean authorities and the people
8:31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, (τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐμῳ) you are My disciples indeed.	Yeshua, the Giver of His word	Those who believe in Yeshua
8:37 “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word (ὁ λόγος ὁ ἐμὸς) has no place in you.	Yeshua, the Giver of His word	Judean Authorities
8:40But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God (ἄνθρωπον ὃς τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὑμῖν λελάληκα, ἣν ἤκουσα παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ·). Abraham did not do this.	Yeshua, the Giver of His Father’s word	Judean Authorities
8:43 Why do you not understand My speech (τὴν λαλιὰν τὴν ἐμὴν)? Because you are not able to listen to My word (τὸν λόγον τὸν ἐμόν).	Yeshua, the Giver of His word	Judean Authorities
8:47 He who is of God hears God’s words (ὰ ῥήματα τοῦ θεοῦ); therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”	God, the Giver of His word	Judean Authorities
8:51 Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word (τὸν λόγον τὸν ἐμὸν) he shall never see death.”	Yeshua, the Giver of His word	Judean authorities and the people
8:52 Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word (τὸν λόγον μου) he shall never taste death.’	Judean Authorities	Yeshua

If the pericope adulterae is omitted from John’s account, then seeing the progression from Giver of the Law to Giver of God’s Word (interchangeably the Father’s or His Word) might easily be missed; likewise, the ensuing interactions between Yeshua and the authorities might be misinterpreted as little more than a heated argument over His statement, I am the light of the world (John 8:12). Emphatically this apologia to the Judean authorities is designed to bring them to faith in their Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God. And, it begins with the dramatic revelation of who Yeshua is as the Giver of the Law and the Spirit filled Messiah who fulfills the Law perfectly (John 7:53-8:12).

If the rulers revere the Law and have witnessed Yeshua openly identifying Himself as the Giver of that Law, then how will they respond to Yeshua when He continues speaking as the light of the world with power and authority the Word of God designed to save them? Again, Yeshua neither argues, nor debates with the Judean authorities, but instead speaks to these rulers with the perfect power and authority of the One True God in order to persuade them of who He is as the light of the world (John 8:12). Will they recognize His power and authority and embrace Him as the light of the world? His word is the light of God’s Word; will they believe in Him for eternal life?

Future Fulfillment of the Divine Profile

In itself, the significance of being both the Giver of the Law and Spirit-filled Messiah who fulfills the Law dovetails into John’s and his fellow apostles’ larger purpose in recording their gospel account (John 20:30-31, 21:24). However, with the progression from the Law to the whole of God’s Word, the Giver of the God’s Word and Spirit-filled Messiah, Yeshua, is uniquely qualified—not just to fulfill the Law—but the whole of God’s word profiling Messiah in both the Old Testament [Law (Torah); Prophets (Nevi’im); and Writings (K’tuvim)] [9] and the New Testament [Gospels, Epistles, and Apocalypse]. This Divine profile fits Israel’s Spirit-filled Messiah exclusively.

Scriptures in John Fulfilled in Messiah

Scripture in John(underlining added)	Old/New Testament
12:13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD !’ The King of Israel!”	Psalm 118:26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!
12:14-15 …as it is written: “Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.”	Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Scripture in John(underlining added)	Old/New Testament
12:38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled , which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?”	Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
12:40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.”	Isaiah 6:10 “Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed.”
13:18 “I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled , ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’	Psalm 41:9 Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.
15:25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, “They hated Me without a cause.’	Psalm 69:4 Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; they are mighty who would destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully;
18:9 that the saying (λόγος)might be fulfilledwhich He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.”	John 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
18:32 that the saying (λόγος)of Jesus might be fulfilledwhich He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.	Matthew 20:18-19 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.”
19:24 …“Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be, ”that the Scripture might be fulfilledwhich says: “They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.	Psalm 22:18 They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.
19:28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled , said, “I thirst!”	Psalm 22:15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death.
19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.	Zechariah 11:10-11 And I took my staff, Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant which I had made with all the peoples. So it was broken on that day. Thus the poor of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the LORD.
Scripture in John(underlining added)	Old/New Testament
19:36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled , “Not one of His bones shall be broken.”	Psalm 34:20 He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken. Exodus 12:46 In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones. Numbers 9:12 They shall leave none of it until morning, nor break one of its bones. According to all the ordinances of the Passover they shall keep it.
19:37 And again another Scripture says , “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”	Zechariah 12:10And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

Note that hina (that) clauses are woven throughout these passages to demonstrate a purposeful fulfillment in Yeshua’s ministry. Verses 12:14-15 use a similar expression, as it is written, and verse 19:37 attaches to the previous hina clause in verse 19:36, And again another Scripture says. Only the Spirit-filled Messiah fulfills this Scriptural profile.

Eventually these fulfillments of the Old Testament law, prophets and writings along with the New Testament gospel accounts become a part of a still larger developing apologia to Israel’s ruling authorities culminating in the greatest sign of all, His crucifixion and resurrection (John 2:18-22, 3:14-18, 8:28, 12:32-34, 19:1-20:30-31).

Despite all their efforts to dismiss Him as a backwater preacher from the sticks of Galilee, Yeshua both speaks and fulfills Scripture (not just the Law), and with every word spoken and fulfilled, He alone fits the Divine profile; will the rulers believe in Him and His promise of eternal life?

Summary: Shocking Truths

Surely, you and I are not shocked by these truths. Afterall, the Apostle John forewarns of us of the radical nature of Yeshua’s deity: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God (John 1:1-2). Nevertheless, following Yeshua’s crucifixion, even the Apostle Thomas struggles. [10] Unless he sees for himself the imprint of the nails on Yeshua’s hands and the wound in His side, he will not believe Yeshua’s resurrection (John 20:25). Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing” (John 20:27). The Divine profile fits perfectly and brings the unbelieving apostle to his knees, My Lord and my God (John 20:28)!

20:30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book;

20:31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name .

(John 20:30-31; underlining added)

The many other signs in the presence of His disciples implies the significance of our Lord’s greatest of all signs, His crucifixion and resurrection, and confirms the power of His Word to bring forth life in His name . The Word of God is perfectly fulfilled in Yeshua’s person and ministry. The Judean authorities are not forewarned by the Apostle John, but must struggle prior to the cross with the radical truth that Yeshua is the Christ, the Son of God..

Yeshua, Himself, repeatedly foreshadows the apologetic impact His crucifixion and resurrection will have upon the Judean authorities (John 2:18-22, 3:14-18, 8:28, 12:32-34). Likewise, He continues to boldly proclaim His promise of eternal life and fulfill the Divine profile, so how will the Judean authorities react? Will they believe in Yeshua? Will they see the light? Will they perceive in His word the very Word of God spoken to deliver them from eternal condemnation? Or, when faced with the truth of who Yeshua is, will they remain in the darkness of unbelief and continue in their efforts to undermine Him and the ministry entrusted to Him by the Father? These are vital questions the Apostle John must answer also in order to persuade his own audience that Yeshua is the Christ, the Son of God, the One who promises life in His name to those who believe in Him (John 20:30-31).

Sons of Satan

The plot to force Yeshua to judge the woman caught in adultery, brilliantly conceived by the scribes and Pharisees seeking to undermine the Messiah, is a dramatic opening engagement in a battle, itself, a part of a much larger ongoing war stretching all the way back to the Garden of Eden (and perhaps beyond). The accusers of the woman in chapter 8 represent a subgroup within a larger group of Judean authorities. Though our Lord eventually identifies the larger group as sons of Satan (John 8:44), [11] He never ceases reaching out to them with the good news of who He is. Indeed, His word reaches out with perfect power, authority, and love. As His Divine profile becomes clearer for all to see, many believe in their Messiah. As darkness descends in the temple, God’s Menorah shines evermore brightly sharply contrasting with the Judean authorities’ accusations and inquiries. [12]

You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true (John 8:13).

If Satan is a master at manipulating God’s Law, should you and I expect anything less from brilliant, yet unwitting proteges? The laws governing witnesses read:

17:6 Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. (Deuteronomy 17:6)

19:15 One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established. (Deuteronomy 19:15)

If Yeshua were an ordinary man, then His lone witness might be dismissed easily, but as the Giver of the Word of God (not merely the Law) and Israel’s Spirit-filled Messiah, He is anything but ordinary. Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going (John 8:14). For those with ears to hear, this revelation clearly reveals Yeshua’s deity. As God, He needs no witness to affirm the truth of His word; God speaks and it is; His Word always affirms itself as truth.

To be the Spirit-filled Messiah is to be the Sent One of the Father. Yeshua carefully abstained from judging both the woman and her accusers, and in so doing exercised perfect understanding and knowledge of His Father(Jeremiah 9:24; John 8:15). However, should He judge both the woman and her accusers, His judgment would have been true for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me . (John 8:16). Regarding the law governing witnesses, even if it were applicable to Him, they already have two witnesses—both He and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me (John 8:18). The words Yeshua speaks are the very words of God revealing the Father’s intimate relationship with His Son. Yeshua is the light of the world worthy of their belief!

Where is your Father(John 8:19)?

True, Yeshua has an earthly Father in Joseph, a lowly carpenter. If the authorities do not know him personally, at least they know about him. However, the Lord’s reference is not to His earthly Father, but to His heavenly Father: You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also (John 8:20; 14:7). Consider the great Shema, Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). [13] Yeshua and His Father are One; far from loving the LORD, these authorities know neither the Father nor His Son. How can they love God with all their heart, soul and strength?

Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come” (John 8:21). Clearly, the Judean authorities can go to Yeshua’s earthly home, but as unbelievers, they cannot go to His heavenly home. Juxtapose this warning to the comfort He gives His disciples: I go and prepare a place for you… that where I am, there you may be also (John 14:1-4). Ironically, the rulers will die in their sin for in their brilliance they foolishly war against the One giving them the Word of God and the One sent to fulfill it... the One promising them eternal life.

Will He kill Himself, because He says, “Where I go you cannot come” (John 8:22)?

Casting aspersions on key witnesses remains one of the most common tactics employed by lawyers and other adversaries.

8:23 And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

8:24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” (John 8:23-24)

The authorities slander Yeshua by questioning whether He intends to commit suicide. Truly, they are from beneath; nevertheless, Our Lord responds with lovingkindness, believe that I am He… the Giver of the God’s Word and Israel’s Spirit-filled Messiah who fulfills the Scripture… the One who has come to keep you from dying in your sins … the One who promises eternal life.

Who are you(John 8:25)?

By asking Him who He is, the Judean authorities imply that Yeshua’s words reveal cognitive dissonance; surely You do not think You are who You say You are, so who are You really? Do You even know who You are? [14]

Yeshua does not suffer cognitive dissonance. Though He has articulated clearly who He is from the very beginning (John 8:25), has many thing to say and to judge concerning them, and speaks to the world those things whichHe heard from His Father (John 8:26), His persecutors simply do not know Him.

Again, Yeshua clarifies who He is for both the Judean authorities and crowd by returning to familiar themes.

8:28 “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He , and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.

8:29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”

8:30 As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.

(John 8:28-30; underlining added)

Imagine the effect on Nicodemus and his disciples, themselves Judean authorities, as they reflect back on Yeshua’s authoritative yet gracious correction of their teacher and His apologia designed to persuade them of His promise of eternal life. Just as He showed lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness (Jeremiah 9:24) towards them, so too He shows His Father’s delight in His words to the Judean authorities. Despite their dark malevolent behavior, the Father has not left Yeshua alone, for He always does those things that please Him (John 8:29); afterall, He is the Son who glories in the perfect understanding and knowledge of His Father (Jeremiah 9:24). Truly, Yeshua is the sent One of God, the Son of Man who, when lifted up, takes away the sin of the world including the sin of the Judean authorities who disparage Him.

The Judean authorities’ actions and words fail to dim the light of God’s Menorah; far from suffering from cognitive dissonance, the light of the world (John 8:12) speaks God’s Word with perfect power and authority in the midst of a dark temple, and many believe in Him (John 8:30). Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:31-32). Those who believe in Yeshua have life in His name and need not walk in darkness with the Judean authorities; they have the light of life , eternal life, within them; they need only abide in His Word. Indeed, Yeshua is the light of the world who promises thatHe who followsHimshall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life—eternal life (John 8:12)!

We are Abraham’s Descendants(John 8:33); Abraham is our Father (John 8:39); We were not born of fornication (John 8:41).

By asserting who they are as Abraham’s children, the authorities seek to impress upon the crowd their authority and the righteousness of their inquiry while questioning the legitimacy of Yeshua’s promise to those who believe in Him. We are Abraham’s descendants , and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, “You will be made free” (John 8:33; underlining added)?This defensive strategy cannot hide the sinfulness of the authorities’ words and deeds and their need for a Savior.

The beginning of John 8:33, They answered Him, troubles many commentators especially if the they refers to those who just three verses earlier believed in Yeshua (John 8:30, 31). Indeed, the voice of those answering back in verse 8:33 clearly remains that of the unbelieving Judean authorities. Have these authorities or rulers suddenly believed in Yeshua, but in a spurious and untrustworthy manner? Or, are those who believe in Yeshua (John 8:30, 31) an audience distinct from the unbelieving Judean authorities?

One of the clues resides in John 8:30, As He spoke these words,many (πολλοὶ) believed in Him (underling added). The Apostle John uses the expression many believed in Him several times in His gospel account (John 4:39, 7:31, 8:30, 10:42, 11:47 and 12:42), but not until John 11:47 and 12:42 does the text explicitly state, even among the rulers many believed (John 12:42). In light of the earlier strong opposition to Yeshua, Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? (John 7:48), why should you and I imagine that one day later the many referred to in John 8:30 are rulers or Judean authorities? If many rulers believe, then what is the size of the group remaining in opposition to Yeshua? Are you and I to imagine the they in John 8:33 represents a highly vocal minority within the rulers? If many of the rulers already believe in Yeshua (John 8:30), then why would the Apostle John wait until after Lazarus’ resurrection to reveal such an important state of affairs? Nevertheless, scholars often insist that the many are Judean authorities or rulers. How so?

In John 2:23, the expression many believed in His name is frequently linked to an untrustworthy spurious faith. According to this kind of thinking, if Nicodemus exemplifies untrustworthy faith (John 2:24-3:2), then those authorities believing in John 8:30 reveal this same kind of untrustworthy faith(John 8:33). [15]

Ironically, the response to Yeshua differs greatly between Nicodemus and his fellow Judean authorities. Nicodemus sought clarification as a newly born again believer— who, as the teacher of Israel, desired his disciples to hear directly from Yeshua. In marked contrast, the Judean authorities relentlessly seek clarification as unbelievers determined to undermine Yeshua and His ministry before the people (λαὸς).

As noted in a previous article, believing in His name expresses genuine, not spurious faith. [16] Yeshua does not entrust Himself to newly born again believers, but instead invites them to abide in His word in order to mature and experience freedom from sin. Correctly understood, the expression many believed in His name makes unlikely the idea that the many in John 8:30 are Judean authorities and more likely, the many are composed of newly born again believers mostly among the crowd—and if among the rulers, then perhaps smaller groups like Nicodemus and his disciples.

The referent or antecedent defining many in verses 8:30-31 is not the nearer one in John 8:33, but the clearer one logically inferred and directly referred to in John 7:31-32, 40-41, 49, and 8:2, the people (λαὸς) or crowd (ὄχλου). Likewise, regarding the referent for they in verse 8:33, Bob Wilkin writes:

The third person plural pronoun in They answered Him looks to the far antecedent in vv 13, 19, 22, 25, and 27. Basically the whole chapter—except for the excursus of vv 30-32—deals with Judeans opposed to Jesus and seeking to kill Him. [17]

Again as Wilkin rightly notes, the clearer referent or antecedent takes precedent over the nearer one.

When Yeshua responds to those declaring themselves descendants of Abraham (John 8:33), He addresses a separate group from those He encourages to abide in His word (John 8:31-32). The former group has yet to believe, while the latter group has just believed. Likewise, the freedom Yeshua promises is the believer’s freedom from sin and carnality. If whoever commits sin is a slave of sin (John 8:34) and a slave does not abide in the house forever(John 8:35), how does He make those who believe in Him free?

The Son makes you free from sin through His Word. As the Giver of God’s Word and Israel’s Spirit-filled Messiah, Yeshua speaks with perfect power and authority: He has perfect power and authority to promise eternal life to the unbeliever; He has perfect power and authority to deliver the believer who abides in His word. Instead of believing in Yeshua, the Judean authorities seek His life because His word has no place in them (John 8:37). Unless unbelievers become persuaded of the truth of Yeshua’s Word or promise to them, they remain dead in their sins and eternally condemned. Unless the believers abide in His Word—though born again and not subject to eternal condemnation—they experience the death-like consequences of sin. Yeshua is the Son of God, the Giver of His Word and Israel’s Spirit-filled Messiah, who delivers both unbelievers and believers according to His Word. He speaks what He has seen with His Father; sadly, the rulers do what they have seen with their father (John 8:38).

Though Judean authorities assert that Abraham is their father (John 8:39), Yeshua warns them of their hypocrisy:

8:39 If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.

8:40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.

8:41 You do the deeds of your father. (John 8:39-41; underlining added)

Casting aspersions now turns into outright character assassination as they respond: We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God (John 8:41). Unlike Yeshua, they were not born of fornication, is a clear reference to Mary’s conception prior to being married to Joseph.

True, the Judean authorities have one father, but the God of Abraham is not their father.

8:42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.

8:43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. (John 8:42-43; underlining added)

Imagine the crowd listening to the harsh demeaning words of the Judean authorities directed to Yeshua, and yet as the Sent One of the Father, He remains unflappable and restrained in His response, demonstrating lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness , all while speaking the Word of God with perfect power and authority, all to the delight of His Father (Jeremiah 9:24).

Nonetheless, the legalism and lies the Judean authorities believe about themselves, along with Satan’s deception, must be exposed. If there is any hope of reaching them with the good news, then grace and truth must come together.

8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

(John 8:44; underlining added)

Perhaps, you and I may recall our Lord’s poignant rebuke of Peter: Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men (Matthew 16:23). Even a born again believer and one entrusted with the keys to the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 16:16-19) can—as a lowly disciple—become a pawn of Satan, especially when mindful of the things of men and not God. How much more so the Judean authorities, who ruling over Israel, are daily consumed by the concerns of men.

Surely, Yeshua’s words call to mind the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and how Eve was deceived by the serpent. Imagine, what a fateful day for the crowd and the Judean authorities; beginning in the early morning with the accusation against the woman caught in adultery and then with the resumption of their attack on Yeshua, the Judean authorities reveal who their real father is. Alas, despite their brilliance, like Adam and Eve, the rulers of Israel have been caught up in legalism… Satan has deafened and blinded them to the words of their Messiah.

If only the authorities had listened to their temple guards: No man ever spoke like this Man (John 7:46)!If only they had listened to one of their own, Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing (John 7:51)?

8:45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.

8:46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth , why do you not believe Me? (John 8:45-46; underlining added)

Though they demean the crowd that does not know the law as accursed (John 7:49), the Judean authorities remain blind to the One who has given them the very Scripture they so greatly extol, the One who tells them the truth with perfect power and authority tempered with the perfect balance of lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness . He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God (John 8:47; underlining added). Yeshua speaks the very Word of God, yet those leading the nation of Israel cannot hear Him. They are most certainly not the children of the God of Abraham. Satan has their ear.

Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon (John 8:48, 52)?

The authorities confuse the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit with demon possession and accuse Yeshua with having the biblical literacy of a Samaritan (John 8:48).

8:49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.

8:50 And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.

8:51 Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.” (John 8:49-51; underlining added)

And how does Yeshua honor His Father and not seek His own glory? By manifesting a perfect harmony of lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness for in these things His Father delights (Jeremiah 9:24). In the face of persecution, He speaks the Word of God and promises with perfect assurance, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death. [18] Anyone includes the Judean authorities who seek Yeshua’s life. Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death . (John 8:52). In their cleverness and haste to call Him demon-possessed, they deny the very Word of God—Messiah’s promise to them of eternal life.

Are You greater than our Father Abraham? Who do You make Yourself out to be (John 8:53)?

The Judeans now return to the familiar theme of cognitive dissonance. Logically, Yeshua claims to be greater than Abraham; surely He does not think He is who He says He is, Who do You make Yourself out to be(John 8:53)?

8:54 Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.

8:55 Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, “I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.

8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” (John 8:54-56; underlining added)

Deaf to Yeshua’s words, the authorities fail to pick up on His eternality: You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham(John 8:57)? Yeshua now confirms what was so obvious the day before to the temple guards; No man ever spoke like this Man (John 7:46); the One who speaks to the rulers is the One True And Eternal God, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM(John 8:58; Exodus 3:14).

Throughout a long morning into mid-day, before a large crowd composed of the Judean authorities and ordinary people, Yeshua has now spoken the Word of God with perfect power and authority tempered with lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness . During this time many of the people and possibly even some of the Judean authorities believed in Him (John 8:30-31), but what is the response of the majority of rulers who continue warring with Yeshua? Despite all His efforts as the Giver of the Scriptures and Israel’s Spirit-filled Messiah to persuade them of good news,they took up stones to throw at Him(John 8:59). As if to confirm all that He previously said, miraculously Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by (John 8:59). His time had not yet come.

I Am the Light of the World

Although He leaves the temple under threat for His life, Yeshua continues to reach out to the leaders of Israel with yet another sign, one that only Messiah can perform, healing a man born blind (John 9:32-33). [19]

9:1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.

9:2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:1-2)

The disciples consider blindness a curse brought on by the sin of either the man or his parents, but Yeshua reveals: Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him (John 9:3).

This man born blind will soon be Yeshua’s seeing ambassador to the Judean authorities, who—themselves, brought forth from their mother’s wombs seeing—remain blind to the Christ, the Son of God. Although untrained in the Law, this man will stand before Israel’s greatest legal minds and under intense scrutiny represent Yeshua. This man born into darkness will witness to the light of the world (John 9:15, 25) without a scintilla of partiality... without formally knowing Yeshua as the Son of God (John 9:35-38).

9:4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.

9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world .”

(John 9:4-5; underlining added)

And, how does Yeshua do the works of Him who sent Him, but by continuing to pursue and draw the Judean authorities with the utterly miraculous good news of a man born blind gaining his sight… again, a sign only Messiah can perform.

Conclusion

Previously, Yeshua concluded His time with the woman caught in adultery by admonishing her without judgment, declaring, I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life (John 8:12) . Now in the person of a lowly blind man, our Lord concludes his apologia to the Judean authorities by sending forth a willing ambassador to present good news and a definitive Messianic calling card. How will the man fare? Will the Pharisees exercise lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness ? Do they understand and know the Father and His Son? The love of God looks like something; it looks like compassion for a woman entrapped in an ungodly scheme and a man born blind seeing for the first time; it looks like Yeshua, the light of the world continuing to pursue the unbelieving Judean authorities with the good news.

Yeshua’s love for the Judean authorities, who seek His life, remains one of the greatest examples of God’s lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness (Jeremiah 9:24) and an essential part of His larger apologia as the One who speaks the Word of God and fulfills it perfectly in His promise of eternal life. Whoever believes in Yeshua and His promise of eternal life has what He promises, eternal life. Despite their malevolent intentions, “whoever” includes the Judean authorities.

1)Israel’s most brilliant and noted scholars continue their legalistic attack upon Yeshua, even after He definitively demonstrates who He is as both the Giver of God’s Word and Israel’s Spirit-filled Messiah (John 7:53-8:12), This only confirms further the bankruptcy of that generation of Israel’s leadership.

2)The Judean authorities or rulers mimic the same legalism Satan used to separate Adam and Eve from God. Their efforts to undermine Israel’s Messiah reflect Satan’s larger design and provide the dark contrast necessary for many to weigh Yeshua’s apologia, I am the light of the world , and believe on Him and His promise of eternal life.

3)Accounting for the Judean authorities’ failure to discern Israel’s Messiah remains an essential element and watermark of authenticity in the apostles’ witness to early first century Jews and Gentiles.

As Yeshua demonstrates, glorifying God oftentimes requires being a determined and persistent light in the midst of darkness. Thankfully, He promises, I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life —eternal life (John 8:12).

Application

Yeshua is the perfect God/Man, Israel’s Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God who speaks the very Word of God with perfect power and authority. He is the giver of His Word and that Word is the Word of His Father that you and I know as the Scriptures. When we share the Gospel of John, we share the very Word He has given us to bring forth eternal life in others. We share a perfect witness that can never return void!

1)In His person and ministry, He is both the Giver of His Word and the Spirit-filled Messiah who fulfills His Word with perfect lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness . He promises life in His name to whoever believes in Him, including the Judean authorities who seek His life. We should share His promise with the “whoevers” He brings into our lives.

2)Those we share with do not always respond positively to the light of the world and the light of life within us (John 8:12). If Yeshua experienced outright rejection for His witness to the Judean authorities, then might you and I expect rejection when witnessing to those caught up in spiritual darkness? Absolutely, the challenge of following Yeshua’s example is how to witness effectively and glory in the lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness of our Lord (Jeremiah 9:24).

3)While imprisoned in Rome, the Apostle Paul writes: For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me (Philippians 1:29-30). Clearly, neither Yeshua nor Paul held themselves hostage to a positive response to the good news. Likewise, when suffering comes into our lives, you and I must not lose hope in the power and authority of God’s promise to bring forth life in our Savior’s name... even under the most impossible of circumstances conviction of His grace and truth will rule the day. Truly, His Word never returns to Him void (Isaiah 55:11).

The Giver of His Word, our Spirit-filled Messiah is good. The promise of eternal life comes from the same One who with the finger of God gave us not merely the Law, but the whole of God’s Word. Yeshua never fails His promise!

Appendix A: Turning From the Grace of God to the Law

Ironically, though the Bible has much to say about “legalism,” the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures never once use the word “legalism”. Merriam Webster’s defines legalism as “strict, literal, or excessive conformity to the law or to a religious or moral code.” [20] Biblically, what constitutes “strict, literal, or excessive conformity to the law?”

You and I might summarize Psalm One in this manner: The one who is blessed does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, stand in the path of sinners , or sit in the seat of the of scornful, but instead delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night (Psalm 1:1-2). As a result, he prospers like a tree planted by the rivers of water (Psalm 1:3). In contrast to the man God blesses, the ungodly do not do the aforementioned things and are like the chaff which the wind drives away standing neither in the judgment nor the congregation of the righteous (Psalm 1:4-5 ). For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish (Psalm 1:6). This psalm is properly considered a wisdom psalm. Lest the Godly man described in this psalm be considered a legalist, what is subjectively considered “strict, literal, or excessive conformity to the law” cannot in itself define legalism.

Knowing what legalism cannot be helps us discover a serviceable definition. For the moment, let us assume the ungodly man described in Psalm One is licentious in his behavior. In the New Testament, verse 4 of Jude warns of, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ . The Greek word (ἀσέλγειαν) translated lewdness is a synonym for licentiousness.

Licentiousness: Ungodly men turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Legalism: Ungodly men turn the grace of our God into legalism and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Licentiousness and legalism are polar opposites of the fleshly response to sin composed of two key elements. Ungodly men do two things: 1) they turn the grace of our God into either lewdness or legalism and 2) they deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Hence, a serviceable definition: Legalism is the act or sin of turning from the grace of God to the law and denying God and His Son Yeshua .

In marked contrast to Old Testament saints, Christians are permanently indwelled with the Holy Spirit. When confronting licentiousness or legalism, the Holy Spirit lifts us out of the mire of our flesh and secures our victory through His ongoing ministry of conviction and filling. Our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin (Romans 6:5-6). Like our brother Paul, we must reckon ourselves dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord(Romans 6:11). Like our brother John, we must confess our sins and know that He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-10). Our victory is in Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit’s ministry to us.

Appendix B: The Promise of Eternal Life

Few things reveal Israel’s Messiah as definitively as Yeshua’s promise of life in His name or eternal life. Throughout the Old Testament, eternal life underpins God’s promise of a Messianic kingdom. Simply put, without life, no Old Testament saint participates in this coming kingdom; God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. So clearly implied throughout the Scripture is this promise, not to infer and believe it personally is tantamount to unbelief. Let us consider the faith of three Old Testament saints, Job, Abraham, and David in God for eternal life.

Beginning with Job, even prior to the Abrahamic covenant, you and I find a personal belief in everlasting life the foundation of Job’s comfort.

19:23 “Oh, that my words were written!

Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!

19:24 That they were engraved on a rock

With an iron pen and lead, forever!

19:25 For I know that my Redeemer lives,

And He shall stand at last on the earth;

19:26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,

That in my flesh I shall see God,

19:27 Whom I shall see for myself,

And my eyes shall behold, and not another.

How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:23-27)

In the midst of all his suffering, Job finds comfort not in his family, friends or even himself, but in the sure personal knowledge that his Redeemer lives . Clearly, Job believes he possesses life beyond his physical death and that he will live that life in the very presence of God Himself: How my heart yearns within me!

Considered the father of the Jewish people, Abraham needed an heir in order to secure the promises God had made to him. Imagine, the deep spiritual challenge he faces when God commands: Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you (Genesis 22:2). When Isaac asks where the offering is Abraham replies : My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering (Genesis 22:8). Only after the Angel of the Lord commands Abraham to stop does the father of the Jewish people cease from offering the life of his only son and heir, Isaac. The author of Hebrews reveals the source of Abraham’s confidence:

11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

11:18 of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,”

11:19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. (Hebrews 11:17-19)

Clearly, Abraham believed God would resurrect His son Isaac. And if resurrection, then eternal life in the kingdom God promised Abraham… for God is not the God of the dead, but of the living… Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Known as a man after God’s own heart, death chased King David as he penned this very famous Psalm:

23:1 The LORD is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

23:2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

23:3 He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD

Forever. (Psalm 23:1-6)

King David wants for nothing because the Lord is his shepherd who tends to his every need… ultimately leading the King in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake . Likened to a shadow, death is an ever-present companion to the King; however, walking through the valley of the shadow of death he fears no evil for David knows the presence of His shepherd through the comfort of His rod and staff. Even in the presence of the King’s enemies who long for his death, David is comforted and blessed: You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over . And, where is King David’s astounding confidence anchored, but in the LORD Himself. Goodness and mercy(the Hebrew word חֶ֣סֶד transliterated chesed) shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever . Clearly, King David personally believed he would live eternally in the presence of his LORD.

Despite these examples of faith from key biblical figures, who so assiduously infer and believe in the promise of everlasting life, the Father entrusts His Son Yeshua with the power and authority to overtly declare or herald His promise of eternal life. That He promises life in His name reveals Yeshua as the Christ, the Son of God as surely as His crucifixion and resurrection (John 12:44-50). In this sense, Yeshua’s promise of eternal life is the fulfillment of the faith expectations of all the Old Testament saints like Job, Abraham, and David, just as the crucifixion and resurrection is the fulfillment of Israel’s sacrificial system. Both decisively reveal Yeshua as the Christ, the Son of God.

Copyright © Frank Tyler 2023